tropical
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, characteristic of, occurring in, or inhabiting the tropics, especially the humid tropics.
tropical flowers.
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very hot and humid.
a tropical climate.
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designed for use in the tropics or in very hot weather (often used in combination).
tropical-weight woolens.
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of or relating to either or both of the astronomical tropics.
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pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a trope or tropes; metaphorical.
noun
adjective
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situated in, used in, characteristic of, or relating to the tropics
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(of weather) very hot, esp when humid
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rhetoric of or relating to a trope
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tropical
Explanation
Our planet’s tropical regions, located just north and south of the equator, are known for being warm and humid. Some people think tropical areas make ideal vacation spots; others think they’re just good places for getting mosquito bites. This word calls for a crash course in geography. If you stand at Earth’s equator at certain times of the year, you’ll see the Sun directly overhead. However, the Sun “wanders” a bit, and sometimes you have to move north or south to see the Sun right above you; latitude lines called tropics show just how far north and south you have to go. The region between each tropic and the equator is considered tropical. For more details, see your travel agent.
Vocabulary lists containing tropical
The Sweltering Words of Summer
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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The United States
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The traditional 1950 home came with mature tropical plants in the back and a sprawling grass hillside lawn in front, and it suited them just fine.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Bottle bio: A medium-bodied wine from Montevideo, Uruguay, with aromas of citrus blossom, grapefruit, white flowers and tropical fruits.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Food and drink - both with a tropical theme - is delivered directly to your cabana by one of the 50 staff who work at the venue, which can hold up to 500 people.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
According to Scott Braun, a research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the eye was relatively large compared with many tropical cyclones.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
Now I just need a reason for my hero to find a large sack on a deserted tropical island!
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
